Locomotive tender structure



Jan. 25, 1944. H. E. DOERR LOCQMOTIVE TENDER STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5. 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l NOE , INVENTOR'. HARRY E .DOERR BY @EZ w ATTO NEY m p q L My l T 8 m @WFWJIW Jan. 25, 1944. H. E. DOEfiR' 2,339,

LO'COMOTIVE TENDER STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HARRY E. DOERR" ATTQR E Jan. 25, 1944.

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3 Sheets-Sheet Z5 I Jj/fa 45 4 I 1 I "r J 4. Yo L 34 j INVENTOR; HARRY E DOE R R ATTORNEY V Patented Jan. 25, 1944 2,339,844 7 LOCOMOTIVE TENDER STRUCTURE Harry E. Doerr, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application September 5, 1942, Serial No. 457,436

Claims. (01. 105-236) The invention relates to railway rolling stock, and more particularly to locomotive tender structure.

Due to comparatively recent increases in the size of locomotive engines, the amount of fuel they consume, and the quantity of water required for steam, it is desirable to increase the fuel and water capacity of the tender so as to reduce delays for taking on fuel and water particularly in long runs. Also it may be desirable to avoid taking on water over a long distance where water supply is inadequate or of unsatisfactory quality. The size of the usual tender structures has been increased in-length and otherwise to the full extent permitted by turntables at roundhouses and by standards established for rail loading.

The main object of the present invention is to increase the tender capacity notwithstanding the above-mentioned limitations. This object is ac- --complished by forming a tender of two or more units, the first of which preferably will have a greater fuel capacity than is provided in tenders now inuse and will also provide a substantial water compartment. The second unit preferably is arranged as a water tender readily detachable from the first unit by ordinary coupling devices.

While each tender unit may be filled or emptied independently of the other, it is an additional obiect of the invention to construct the units so that their water compartments may be so connected that the water compartment of either unit may be filled or emptied from the water compartment of the other unit.

To increase the capacity of the individual units,

it is desired to utilize the individual underframes as parts of the water tanks, and it is a further object of the invention to so arrange th adjacent portions of the underframes so that they may afford maximum capacity for the tender and, at

the same time, readily accommodate the coupling and uncoupling of the units.

It is an additional object of the invention to adapt the interconnected units for heating the water carried thereby from the train steam line so that freezing of the water carried by the units in cold weather may be avoided.

These and other detailed objects of the invention as will appear from the following description are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top view largely diagrammatic of a two-unit tender.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top View of the adjacent portions;--

of the two units shown in Figure 1 but drawn to an enlarged scale and sectioned in part to more clearly illustrate the construction.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the adjacent portions of the two units shown in Figure 2 but drawn to an enlarged scale and sectioned inpart to more clearly illustrate the construction.

Figures 5 and '7 are vertical transverse sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the corresponding section line of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a side elevation largely diagrammatic corresponding to Figure 2 but illustrating another form of the invention.

The tender front unit, shown in the right hand portions of Figures 1 and 2, preferably includes a one-piece cast metal underframe I on which sheet metal superstructure 2 is erected. The underframe includes a substantially horizontal bottom web 3 and upstanding longitudinal webs forming side sill elements 4, and transverse box section reenforcing members such as bolster 6 and transoms l. The underframe casting also includes depending pedestal legs 8 arranged in pairs and opposingeach other to receive between them the journal boxes 9 carried on axles l0 mounted in wheels H. Five such wheeled axles are shown under the forward unit. A leaf spring l3 and one or more coil springs M are mounted on each journal box. The coil springs directly support the underfrarne and the leaf springs are connected by hangers l5 to the ends of equalizers l6 pivoted to the frame at H and forming an individual spring equalizing system at each [side of the truck, each end of the system being anchored to the frame by a link 1511 and a coil spring I521. The forward portion of the forward vunit is supported by a four-wheeled swivelling truck l8 provided with a center plate connection Hi to the underframe. Hence theforward unit is stably but yieldingly supported on center plat l9 and on the separate spring systems on the main axles journalledin the underframe.

The superstructure 2 of the forwardunit is divided bya partition 20 into a fuel compartment F and a water compartment'W, the fuel compartment being at the forward end of: the unit and comprising a closed tank for fuel oil 01112,

forwardly opening compartment for coal readily accessible to the fireman stationed in the engine in vertical alignment with the outer face of the rear end sill 5.

The tender rear unit preferably includes a one-piece cast metal underframe 2| constructed generally similarly to underframe I and having a sheet metal superstructure 22 erected thereon and forming a water compartment C extending substantially throughout the width and height of the unit and from end to end thereof except that partition walls 23, 24 and 25 at the rear end of the unit, extending in part above the remainder of the superstructure, form a cabin for a brakeman or other trainman who will have access to the cabin from the side and top of the unit.

Underframe 2| is provided with a series of pedestals at each side receiving axle journal boxes from which the unit is spring supported similarly to the support of the main portion of the front unit, but there is no pivotal truck under the rear unit. The rear unit is of shorter length than the front unit and can readily be mounted upon the five pairs of wheels with journal boxes received in the underframe. Certain groups of springs and equalizers at opposite sides of the unit are connected so as to form three separate and continuous spring equalizing systems comprising a three-point spring support for the unit, as is well known in the art, one group at one end of the unit being cross equalized by bell cranks 41 pivoted to the underframe at 48 and connected by cross tie rod 49 (Figure 7).

The forward end sill of the front unit is arranged for draw .bar connection to the locomovtive engine (not shown) and for transmission of fuel, and water to the engine in any desired manner.

The rear end sill of the front unit and the forward end sill of the rear unit are substantially alike and involve novel features adapting them for effectively combining the units as shown. One end sill proper is detailed in Figure 5 and the adjacent portion of the underframe is detailed in Figure 7. The sill is an integral partnof the underframe casting and is substantially of box section from side to side of the tender. At each side of the vehicle the underframe bottom web is recessed upwardly, as indicated at 21, to accommodate a valve 28 having an outwardly presented handle 29 readily accessible from the side of the vehicle. A flexible conduit 30 extends between opposite valves on the. two units and is detachably secured as by coupling 3| to one of the valves. If desired, a single valve and conduit may be used which will cross over from one corner of one unit to the diagonally opposite corner of. the other unit.

The central portion of the underframe bottom web is recessed upwardly, as indicated at 32, to accommodate the coupler shank 33 and its yoke 34, and, this recess extends laterally to provide for the. insertion and removal of the draft gear key 35 through openings therefor in the longitudinal webs, 35 forming the draft sills. At one side of the draft sills. the bottom web is continued at its elevated level to the side of the underframe, as indicated at 32a, butthe effective depth of the end sill is maintained by a vertical reenforcing rib 31 positioned far enough from the draft sill to accommodate the withdrawal of key 35. At the opposite side of the draft sills the bottom web includes a portion at its lowermost level extending longitudinally of the vehicle upto the end of the underframe, as indicated at 3a.

Steam pipes 38, are secured to the sides of underframes l and 2| respectively by a series of clips 39 (Figure 7), and near the rear end of the front unit pipe 38 extends downwardly as at 380, (Figure 4) and then diagonally across beneath the end sill as at 38?) and then downwardly and outwardly as at 380 where it terminates in a coupling connected to a corresponding coupling on pipe extension 400 on steam pipe 40. Near the forward end of the front unit, pipe 38 is provided with a valved branch 4! leading to a coil 42 adapted to heat the water in compartment W and prevent its freezing. Near the front end of the rear unit, pipe 40 is provided with a similar valved branch 43 leading to a 1 coil 44 adapted to heat the water in compartment C. Each coil 42 and 44 has a terminal outlet 45 beneath the rear end of the vehicle and underframe.

provided with any suitable control valve.

The above-described structure provides a water compartment for the full width of the vehicle and extending downwardly below the level of the tops of the supporting wheels and alongside of the coupler and out to the extreme end of the By opening valves 28, one water compartment may be filled or emptied from the other and it will be unnecessary to shift the tender from one reservoir tank to the other while the water compartments are being filled. If desired, an auxiliary tender unit, such as the rear unit, with its valves 28 closed, may be switched to the reservoir and filled and held in readiness for assembly with a locomotive and main tender unit. If it is necessary to reverse a locomotive with a combined tender structure, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the two units may be disassembled and separately moved to the turntable and reversed after which the units may again be assembled as before.

It will be understood that each unit is provided with any desired system of brakes and brake operating mechanism, such as air brake cylinder and reservoir operated from the engine.

With this construction, the locomotive can be made any reasonable desired length and a main tender unit can be used for fuel and some water and the auxiliary unit can be added to carry as much additional water as desired.

Figure 8 illustrates another form of the invention in which the front unit is a duplicate of that shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the main and rear portions of the rear unit is substantially the same as the front unit. The forward portion of the rear unit is arranged to be mounted upon a four-wheeled swivelling truck 53 similarly to the mounting of the forward portion of underframe 50 on the four-wheeled swivelling truck 54. Trucks 53 and 54 and the adjacent portions of the underframes mounted thereon correspond -to truck'l8 and the adjacent portion of the front unit underframepreviously described except that the front end sill 55 of the rear unit will be con-' structed in accordance with Figure 5 so as to provide for the valved connections between the units 'and for the standard coupler instead of for the draw bar arrangement for connection to the locomotive engine, as would be provided at the forward end of the front unit.

As may be noted by comparing the lengths of the auxiliary units in Figures 2 and 8, this arrangement makes it possible to construct the auxiliary unit of substantially greater length and capacity than the auxiliary unit shown in Figure 2. It will be understood that the details of construction and the advantages attained by the previously described structure are present in this modification.

The details of the underframes and associated parts and interconnecting equipment provided thereon may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a locomotive tender structure, separate underframes coupled to each other and each mounted on an individual set of supporting wheels, each underframe including an end sill disposed opposite to an end sill of the other underframe and having a bottom web and an end web forming a lowermost portion of a tender water tank, there being an outlet in each sill at the lowermost level of its tank forming portion, a conduit between corresponding outlets of the two sills for discharging water from one underframe into the other underframe, and a coupler on each end sill partially surrounded by the water-tankforming webs of the end sill and connected to the corresponding coupler on the other underframe.

2. In locomotive tender structure, a main unit and an auxiliary unit having individual underframes and individual sets of supporting wheels and axles, and individual end sills, one end sill of one unit being opposite to an end sill of the other unit, each end sill having upright and horizontal webs forming a part of the lower portion of a water compartment and being provided with upward recesses at their longitudinal centers and with similar recesses at their sides, individual couplers housed in the central ecesses and being partially surrounded by the water compartments and cooperating to secure the underframes together, and valved conduits in the side recesses connecting the water compartments so that each compartment may be emptied and filled from the other compartment.

3. In locomotive tender structure, separate underframes coupled to each other and each mounted on an individual set of supporting wheels, each underframe forming the lower portion of a water compartment, a flexible conduit at the side of the tender structure connecting said compartments, cooperating couplers between said underframes at the longitudinal center line of the tender structure, a steam pipe secured to one side of one underframe and a steam pipe secured to the other side of the other underframe, said pipes extending downwardly below said underframes at points adjacent to but spaced inwardly of the ends of the underframes and being there provided with connections extending diagonally of the underframes and below said couplers and inwardly from the side of the underframes from said conduit, and an individual heater pipe in each compartment having a valved connection to the adjacent steam pipe.

4. In a locomotive tender structure, an underframe having a horizontal web forming the bottom of the tender tank and having an upright web extending transversely of the underframe and forming an end sill outer member, the end portion of the horizontal web being ofiset upwardly intermediate the sides of the underframe, to form a pocket for receiving a coupler shank, and being offset upwardly adjacent the side of the underframe to form a recess for receiving a conduit leading through the upright web and a valve thereon for filling and draining the tank, said horizontal web extending between said pocket and recess at the lowermost level of the tank bottom up to the transverse upright Web to extend the lower portion of the water compartment up to the end of the underframe.

5. In locomotive tender structure, separate underframes coupled to each other and each mounted on an individual set of supporting wheels, each underframe forming the lower portion of a water compartment, a flexible conduit at the side of the tender structure connecting said compartments, cooperating couplers between said underframes at the longitudinal center line of the tender structure, a steam pipe secured to one side of one underframe and a steam pipe secured to the other side of the other underframe, said pipes extending downwardly below said underframes at points adjacent to but spaced inwardly of the ends of the underframes and being there provided with connections extending diagonally of the underframes and below said couplers and inwardly from the side of the underframes from said conduit, and a heater pipe in at least one of said compartments having a connection to the adjacent steam pipe.

HARRY E. DOERR. 

